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D’Ippolito R, Rabara D, Blanco MA, Alberico E, Drew MR, Ramakrishnan N, Sontan D, Widmeyer SRT, Scheidemantle GM, Messing S, Turner D, Arkin M, Maciag AE, Stephen AG, Esposito D, McCormick F, Nissley DV, DeHart CJ. A Top-Down Proteomic Assay to Evaluate KRAS4B-Compound Engagement. Anal Chem 2024; 96:5223-5231. [PMID: 38498381 PMCID: PMC10993199 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c05626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Development of new targeted inhibitors for oncogenic KRAS mutants may benefit from insight into how a given mutation influences the accessibility of protein residues and how compounds interact with mutant or wild-type KRAS proteins. Targeted proteomic analysis, a key validation step in the KRAS inhibitor development process, typically involves both intact mass- and peptide-based methods to confirm compound localization or quantify binding. However, these methods may not always provide a clear picture of the compound binding affinity for KRAS, how specific the compound is to the target KRAS residue, and how experimental conditions may impact these factors. To address this, we have developed a novel top-down proteomic assay to evaluate in vitro KRAS4B-compound engagement while assessing relative quantitation in parallel. We present two applications to demonstrate the capabilities of our assay: maleimide-biotin labeling of a KRAS4BG12D cysteine mutant panel and treatment of three KRAS4B proteins (WT, G12C, and G13C) with small molecule compounds. Our results show the time- or concentration-dependence of KRAS4B-compound engagement in context of the intact protein molecule while directly mapping the compound binding site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert
A. D’Ippolito
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Dana Rabara
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Maria Abreu Blanco
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Emily Alberico
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Matthew R. Drew
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Nitya Ramakrishnan
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Dara Sontan
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Stephanie R. T. Widmeyer
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Grace M. Scheidemantle
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Simon Messing
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - David Turner
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Michelle Arkin
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University
of California, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
- Small
Molecule Discovery Center, University of
California, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Anna E. Maciag
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Andrew G. Stephen
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Dominic Esposito
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Frank McCormick
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
- Helen
Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San
Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Dwight V. Nissley
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Caroline J. DeHart
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
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2
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Wang D, Zhang BH, Wen X, Chen KH, Xiao HT, Xu XW, Li QF. Clinical features and surgical treatments of scoliosis in neurofibromatosis type 1: a systemic review and meta-analysis. EUROPEAN SPINE JOURNAL : OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE EUROPEAN SPINE SOCIETY, THE EUROPEAN SPINAL DEFORMITY SOCIETY, AND THE EUROPEAN SECTION OF THE CERVICAL SPINE RESEARCH SOCIETY 2024:10.1007/s00586-024-08194-w. [PMID: 38526628 DOI: 10.1007/s00586-024-08194-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF 1) is an autosomal-dominant tumor predisposition genetic disease affecting approximately 1 in 3000 live births. The condition could present various manifestations ranging from skin abnormalities to neurological tumors. The musculoskeletal system could also be frequently affected, and scoliosis is the most common orthopedic manifestation. Characterized by the early-onset and rapid progression tendency, NF 1-related dystrophic scoliosis presented discrepancies from idiopathic scoliosis in terms of natural history, clinical features, and management outcomes and thus required special attention. In the current study, the authors conducted a systemic review to outline the body of evidence of the natural history, clinical characteristics, surgical outcomes, and surgical complications of NF 1-induced scoliosis, aiming to provide an elucidative insight into this condition. METHOD Systemic review and meta-analysis were conducted according to the latest Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The search was performed in Medline, Embase, and Web of Science Core Collection up to December 27, 2022, using related keywords. Clinical features such as frequencies, segmental involvement, and hereditary information were summarized and described qualitatively. Meta-analysis was conducted using R software and the 'meta' package to yield an overall outcome of efficacy and safety of surgical management, precisely, spinal fusion procedure and growing rods procedure. Corrective rate of Cobb angle, sagittal kyphosis angle, and T1-S1 length post-operative and at the last follow-up was used to evaluate the efficacy, and the occurrence of surgery-related complications was used to evaluate the safety. RESULT A total of 37 articles involving 1023 patients were included. Approximately 26.6% of the NF 1 patients would present with scoliosis. Patients tend to develop scoliosis at an earlier age. The thoracic part turned out to be the most affected segment. No obvious correlation between scoliosis and genotype or hereditary type was observed. Both spinal fusion and growing rod surgery have shown acceptable treatment outcomes, with spinal fusion demonstrating better performance in terms of effectiveness and safety. The growing rods technique seemed to allow a better lengthening of the spine. The mainstay post-operative complications were implant-related complications but could be managed with limited revision surgery. Severe neurological deficits were rarely reported. CONCLUSION Scoliosis, especially the subtype characterized by dystrophic bony changes, is a significant orthopedic manifestation of NF1. It has an early onset, a tendency to persistently and rapidly progress, and is challenging to deal with. The current review outlines the available evidence from the perspective of natural history, clinical features, and the treatment efficacy and safety of the mainstay surgical options. Patients with NF1 scoliosis will benefit from a better understanding of the disease and evidence based treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dun Wang
- Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Sichuan University School of Medicine, No. 37 Wainan Guoxue Road, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Bo-Han Zhang
- Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Sichuan University School of Medicine, No. 37 Wainan Guoxue Road, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xue Wen
- Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Sichuan University School of Medicine, No. 37 Wainan Guoxue Road, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Kun-Hao Chen
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Wainan Guoxue Road, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Hai-Tao Xiao
- Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Sichuan University School of Medicine, No. 37 Wainan Guoxue Road, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xue-Wen Xu
- Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Sichuan University School of Medicine, No. 37 Wainan Guoxue Road, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Qing-Feng Li
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai, 200011, China.
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3
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Weatherdon L, Stuart K, Cassidy M, de la Gándara AM, Okkenhaug H, Muellener M, Mckenzie G, Cook SJ, Gilley R. Reporter cell lines to screen for inhibitors or regulators of the KRAS-RAF-MEK1/2-ERK1/2 pathway. Biochem J 2024; 481:405-422. [PMID: 38381045 PMCID: PMC11088904 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20240015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
The RAS-regulated RAF-MEK1/2-ERK1/2 signalling pathway is activated in cancer due to mutations in RAS proteins (especially KRAS), BRAF, CRAF, MEK1 and MEK2. Whilst inhibitors of KRASG12C (lung adenocarcinoma) and BRAF and MEK1/2 (melanoma and colorectal cancer) are clinically approved, acquired resistance remains a problem. Consequently, the search for new inhibitors (especially of RAS proteins), new inhibitor modalities and regulators of this pathway, which may be new drug targets, continues and increasingly involves cell-based screens with small molecules or genetic screens such as RNAi, CRISPR or protein interference. Here we describe cell lines that exhibit doxycycline-dependent expression KRASG12V or BRAFV600E and harbour a stably integrated EGR1:EmGFP reporter gene that can be detected by flow cytometry, high-content microscopy or immunoblotting. KRASG12V or BRAFV600E-driven EmGFP expression is inhibited by MEK1/2 or ERK1/2 inhibitors (MEKi and ERKi). BRAFi inhibit BRAFV600E-driven EmGFP expression but enhance the response to KRASG12V, recapitulating paradoxical activation of wild type RAF proteins. In addition to small molecules, expression of iDab6, encoding a RAS-specific antibody fragment inhibited KRASG12V- but not BRAFV600E-driven EmGFP expression. Finally, substitution of EmGFP for a bacterial nitroreductase gene allowed KRASG12V or BRAFV600E to drive cell death in the presence of a pro-drug, which may allow selection of pathway inhibitors that promote survival. These cell lines should prove useful for cell-based screens to identify new regulators of KRAS- or BRAF-dependent ERK1/2 signalling (drug target discovery) as well as screening or triaging 'hits' from drug discovery screens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Weatherdon
- Signalling Programme, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB22 3AT, U.K
| | - Kate Stuart
- Signalling Programme, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB22 3AT, U.K
- Phoremost, Unit 7, The Works, Unity Campus, Pampisford, Cambridge CB22 3FT, U.K
| | - Megan Cassidy
- Signalling Programme, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB22 3AT, U.K
| | | | - Hanneke Okkenhaug
- Imaging Facility, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB22 3AT, U.K
| | - Markus Muellener
- Phoremost, Unit 7, The Works, Unity Campus, Pampisford, Cambridge CB22 3FT, U.K
| | - Grahame Mckenzie
- Phoremost, Unit 7, The Works, Unity Campus, Pampisford, Cambridge CB22 3FT, U.K
| | - Simon J. Cook
- Signalling Programme, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB22 3AT, U.K
| | - Rebecca Gilley
- Signalling Programme, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB22 3AT, U.K
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4
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Hebert JD, Tang YJ, Andrejka L, Lopez SS, Petrov DA, Boross G, Winslow MM. Combinatorial in vivo genome editing identifies widespread epistasis during lung tumorigenesis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.07.583981. [PMID: 38496564 PMCID: PMC10942407 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.07.583981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Lung adenocarcinoma, the most common subtype of lung cancer, is genomically complex, with tumors containing tens to hundreds of non-synonymous mutations. However, little is understood about how genes interact with each other to enable tumorigenesis in vivo , largely due to a lack of methods for investigating genetic interactions in a high-throughput and multiplexed manner. Here, we employed a novel platform to generate tumors with all pairwise inactivation of ten tumor suppressor genes within an autochthonous mouse model of oncogenic KRAS-driven lung cancer. By quantifying the fitness of tumors with every single and double mutant genotype, we show that most tumor suppressor genetic interactions exhibited negative epistasis, with diminishing returns on tumor fitness. In contrast, Apc inactivation showed positive epistasis with the inactivation of several other genes, including dramatically synergistic effects on tumor fitness in combination with Lkb1 or Nf1 inactivation. This approach has the potential to expand the scope of genetic interactions that may be functionally characterized in vivo , which could lead to a better understanding of how complex tumor genotypes impact each step of carcinogenesis.
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5
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Sahu P, Mitra A, Ganguly A. Targeting KRAS and SHP2 signaling pathways for immunomodulation and improving treatment outcomes in solid tumors. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 386:167-222. [PMID: 38782499 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2024.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Historically, KRAS has been considered 'undruggable' inspite of being one of the most frequently altered oncogenic proteins in solid tumors, primarily due to the paucity of pharmacologically 'druggable' pockets within the mutant isoforms. However, pioneering developments in drug design capable of targeting the mutant KRAS isoforms especially KRASG12C-mutant cancers, have opened the doors for emergence of combination therapies comprising of a plethora of inhibitors targeting different signaling pathways. SHP2 signaling pathway, primarily known for activation of intracellular signaling pathways such as KRAS has come up as a potential target for such combination therapies as it emerged to be the signaling protein connecting KRAS and the immune signaling pathways and providing the link for understanding the overlapping regions of RAS/ERK/MAPK signaling cascade. Thus, SHP2 inhibitors having potent tumoricidal activity as well as role in immunomodulation have generated keen interest in researchers to explore its potential as combination therapy in KRAS mutant solid tumors. However, the excitement with these combination therapies need to overcome challenges thrown up by drug resistance and enhanced toxicity. In this review, we will discuss KRAS and SHP2 signaling pathways and their roles in immunomodulation and regulation of tumor microenvironment and also analyze the positive effects and drawbacks of the different combination therapies targeted at these signaling pathways along with their present and future potential to treat solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Sahu
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Ankita Mitra
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Anirban Ganguly
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Deoghar, Jharkhand, India.
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Alqualo NO, Campos-Fernandez E, Picolo BU, Ferreira EL, Henriques LM, Lorenti S, Moreira DC, Simião MPS, Oliveira LBT, Alonso-Goulart V. Molecular biomarkers in prostate cancer tumorigenesis and clinical relevance. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2024; 194:104232. [PMID: 38101717 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2023.104232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most frequent type of cancer in men and assessing circulating tumor cells (CTCs) by liquid biopsy is a promising tool to help in cancer early detection, staging, risk of recurrence evaluation, treatment prediction and monitoring. Blood-based liquid biopsy approaches enable the enrichment, detection and characterization of CTCs by biomarker analysis. Hence, comprehending the molecular markers, their role on each stage of cancer development and progression is essential to provide information that can help in future implementation of these biomarkers in clinical assistance. In this review, we studied the molecular markers most associated with PCa CTCs to better understand their function on tumorigenesis and metastatic cascade, the methodologies utilized to analyze these biomarkers and their clinical significance, in order to summarize the available information to guide researchers in their investigations, new hypothesis formulation and target choice for the development of new diagnostic and treatment tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalia Oliveira Alqualo
- Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Prof. Dr. Luiz Ricardo Goulart Filho, Institute of Biotechnology, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlandia, MG 38400-902, Brazil
| | - Esther Campos-Fernandez
- Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Prof. Dr. Luiz Ricardo Goulart Filho, Institute of Biotechnology, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlandia, MG 38400-902, Brazil
| | - Bianca Uliana Picolo
- Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Prof. Dr. Luiz Ricardo Goulart Filho, Institute of Biotechnology, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlandia, MG 38400-902, Brazil
| | - Emanuelle Lorrayne Ferreira
- Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Prof. Dr. Luiz Ricardo Goulart Filho, Institute of Biotechnology, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlandia, MG 38400-902, Brazil
| | - Laila Machado Henriques
- Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Prof. Dr. Luiz Ricardo Goulart Filho, Institute of Biotechnology, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlandia, MG 38400-902, Brazil
| | - Sabrina Lorenti
- Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Prof. Dr. Luiz Ricardo Goulart Filho, Institute of Biotechnology, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlandia, MG 38400-902, Brazil
| | - Danilo Caixeta Moreira
- Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Prof. Dr. Luiz Ricardo Goulart Filho, Institute of Biotechnology, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlandia, MG 38400-902, Brazil
| | - Maria Paula Silva Simião
- Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Prof. Dr. Luiz Ricardo Goulart Filho, Institute of Biotechnology, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlandia, MG 38400-902, Brazil
| | - Luciana Beatriz Tiago Oliveira
- Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Prof. Dr. Luiz Ricardo Goulart Filho, Institute of Biotechnology, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlandia, MG 38400-902, Brazil
| | - Vivian Alonso-Goulart
- Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Prof. Dr. Luiz Ricardo Goulart Filho, Institute of Biotechnology, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlandia, MG 38400-902, Brazil.
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7
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Chen T, Tang X, Wang Z, Feng F, Xu C, Zhao Q, Wu Y, Sun H, Chen Y. Inhibition of Son of Sevenless Homologue 1 (SOS1): Promising therapeutic treatment for KRAS-mutant cancers. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 261:115828. [PMID: 37778239 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Kristen rat sarcoma (KRAS) is one of the most common oncogenes in human cancers. As a guanine nucleotide exchange factor, Son of Sevenless Homologue 1 (SOS1) represents a potential therapeutic concept for the treatment of KRAS-mutant cancers because of its activation on KRAS and downstream signaling pathways. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the structure, biological function, and regulation of SOS1. We also focus on the recent advances in SOS1 inhibitors and emphasize their binding modes, structure-activity relationships and pharmacological activities. We hope that this publication can provide a comprehensive compendium on the rational design of SOS1 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingkai Chen
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, People's Republic of China
| | - Xu Tang
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhenqi Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, People's Republic of China
| | - Feng Feng
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, 211166, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunlei Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, People's Republic of China
| | - Qun Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, People's Republic of China
| | - Yulan Wu
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, People's Republic of China
| | - Haopeng Sun
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yao Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, People's Republic of China.
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8
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Zhang J, Darman L, Hassan MS, Von Holzen U, Awasthi N. Targeting KRAS for the potential treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: Recent advancements provide hope (Review). Oncol Rep 2023; 50:206. [PMID: 37800636 PMCID: PMC10570661 DOI: 10.3892/or.2023.8643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) is one of the most frequently mutated oncogenes in solid tumors. More than 90% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are driven by mutations in the KRAS gene, suggesting the importance of targeting this oncogene in PDAC. Initial efforts to target KRAS have been unsuccessful due to its small size, high affinity for guanosine triphosphate/guanosine diphosphate, and lack of distinct drug‑binding pockets. Therefore, much of the focus has been directed at inhibiting the activation of major signaling pathways downstream of KRAS, most notably the PI3K/AKT and RAF/MAPK pathways, using tyrosine kinase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies. While preclinical studies showed promising results, clinical data using the inhibitors alone and in combination with other standard therapies have shown limited practicality, largely due to the lack of efficacy and dose‑limiting toxicities. Recent therapeutic approaches for KRAS‑driven tumors focus on mutation‑specific drugs such as selective KRASG12C inhibitors and son of sevenless 1 pan‑KRAS inhibitors. While KRASG12C inhibitors showed great promise against patients with non‑small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring KRASG12C mutations, they were not efficacious in PDAC largely because the major KRAS mutant isoforms in PDAC are G12D, G12V, and G12R. As a result, KRASG12D and pan‑KRAS inhibitors are currently under investigation as potential therapeutic options for PDAC. The present review summarized the importance of KRAS oncogenic signaling, challenges in its targeting, and preclinical and clinical targeted agents including recent direct KRAS inhibitors for blocking KRAS signaling in PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Zhang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
- Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Lily Darman
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
- Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Md Sazzad Hassan
- Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
- Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, South Bend, IN 46617, USA
| | - Urs Von Holzen
- Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
- Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, South Bend, IN 46617, USA
- Goshen Center for Cancer Care, Goshen, IN 46526, USA
- University of Basel School of Medicine, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Niranjan Awasthi
- Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
- Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, South Bend, IN 46617, USA
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9
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Chmielewska I, Krawczyk P, Grenda A, Wójcik-Superczyńska M, Krzyżanowska N, Gil M, Milanowski J. Breaking the 'Undruggable' Barrier: Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 Immunotherapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients with KRAS Mutations-A Comprehensive Review and Description of Single Site Experience. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3732. [PMID: 37509393 PMCID: PMC10378665 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15143732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homologue (KRAS) gene mutations are among the most commonly found oncogenic alterations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Unfortunately, KRAS mutations have been considered "undruggable" for many years, making treatment options very limited. Immunotherapy targeting programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), programmed death 1 (PD-1) and cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) has emerged as a promising therapeutic option for NSCLC patients. However, some studies have suggested a lower response rate to immunotherapy in KRAS-mutated NSCLC patients with the coexistence of mutations in the STK11 (Serine/Threonine Kinase 11) gene. However, recent clinical trials have shown promising results with the combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy or immunotherapy and KRAS inhibitors (sotorasib, adagrasib) in such patients. In other studies, the high efficacy of immunotherapy has been demonstrated in NSCLC patients with mutations in the KRAS gene that do not coexist with other mutations or coexist with the TP53 gene mutations. In this paper, we review the available literature on the efficacy of immunotherapy in KRAS-mutated NSCLC patients. In addition, we presented single-site experience on the efficacy of immunotherapy in NSCLC patients with KRAS mutations. The effectiveness of chemoimmunotherapy or immunotherapy as well as KRAS inhibitors extends the overall survival of advanced NSCLC patients with the G12C mutation in the KRAS gene to 2-3 years. This type of management has become the new standard in the treatment of NSCLC patients. Further studies are needed to clarify the potential benefits of immunotherapy in KRAS-mutated NSCLC patients and to identify potential biomarkers that may help predict response to therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izabela Chmielewska
- Department of Pneumonology, Oncology and Allergology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
| | - Paweł Krawczyk
- Department of Pneumonology, Oncology and Allergology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
| | - Anna Grenda
- Department of Pneumonology, Oncology and Allergology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
| | | | - Natalia Krzyżanowska
- Department of Pneumonology, Oncology and Allergology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
| | - Michał Gil
- Department of Pneumonology, Oncology and Allergology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
| | - Janusz Milanowski
- Department of Pneumonology, Oncology and Allergology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
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Ganguli S, Wyatt T, Nyga A, Lawson RH, Meyer T, Baum B, Matthews HK. Oncogenic Ras deregulates cell-substrate interactions during mitotic rounding and respreading to alter cell division orientation. Curr Biol 2023; 33:2728-2741.e3. [PMID: 37343559 PMCID: PMC7614879 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.05.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Oncogenic Ras has been shown to change the way cancer cells divide by increasing the forces generated during mitotic rounding. In this way, RasV12 enables cancer cells to divide across a wider range of mechanical environments than normal cells. Here, we identify a further role for oncogenic Ras-ERK signaling in division by showing that RasV12 expression alters the shape, division orientation, and respreading dynamics of cells as they exit mitosis. Many of these effects appear to result from the impact of RasV12 signaling on actomyosin contractility, because RasV12 induces the severing of retraction fibers that normally guide spindle positioning and provide a memory of the interphase cell shape. In support of this idea, the RasV12 phenotype is reversed by inhibition of actomyosin contractility and can be mimicked by the loss of cell-substrate adhesion during mitosis. Finally, we show that RasV12 activation also perturbs division orientation in cells cultured in 2D epithelial monolayers and 3D spheroids. Thus, the induction of oncogenic Ras-ERK signaling leads to rapid changes in division orientation that, along with the effects of RasV12 on cell growth and cell-cycle progression, are likely to disrupt epithelial tissue organization and contribute to cancer dissemination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sushila Ganguli
- Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Tom Wyatt
- Laboratoirè Matiere et Systèmes Complexes, Université Paris Diderot, 10 rue Alice Domon et Léonie Duquet, Bâtiment Condorcet, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Agata Nyga
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Rachel H Lawson
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Tim Meyer
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, 72 Huntley Street, London WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Buzz Baum
- Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK; MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK.
| | - Helen K Matthews
- Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK; School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
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11
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Safaroghli-Azar A, Sanaei MJ, Pourbagheri-Sigaroodi A, Bashash D. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) classes: From cell signaling to endocytic recycling and autophagy. Eur J Pharmacol 2023:175827. [PMID: 37269974 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2023.175827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Lipid signaling is defined as any biological signaling action in which a lipid messenger binds to a protein target, converting its effects to specific cellular responses. In this complex biological pathway, the family of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) represents a pivotal role and affects many aspects of cellular biology from cell survival, proliferation, and migration to endocytosis, intracellular trafficking, metabolism, and autophagy. While yeasts have a single isoform of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), mammals possess eight PI3K types divided into three classes. The class I PI3Ks have set the stage to widen research interest in the field of cancer biology. The aberrant activation of class I PI3Ks has been identified in 30-50% of human tumors, and activating mutations in PIK3CA is one of the most frequent oncogenes in human cancer. In addition to indirect participation in cell signaling, class II and III PI3Ks primarily regulate vesicle trafficking. Class III PI3Ks are also responsible for autophagosome formation and autophagy flux. The current review aims to discuss the original data obtained from international research laboratories on the latest discoveries regarding PI3Ks-mediated cell biological processes. Also, we unravel the mechanisms by which pools of the same phosphoinositides (PIs) derived from different PI3K types act differently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ava Safaroghli-Azar
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad-Javad Sanaei
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Atieh Pourbagheri-Sigaroodi
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Davood Bashash
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Lin D, Wang D, Li P, Deng L, Zhang Z, Zhang Y, Zhang M, Zhang N. Whole-exome sequencing identified recurrent and novel variants in benzene-induced leukemia. BMC Med Genomics 2023; 16:13. [PMID: 36703207 PMCID: PMC9878782 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-023-01442-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genome-wide sequencing may extensively identify potential pathogenic variants, which helps to understand mechanisms of tumorigenesis, but such study has not been reported in benzene-induced leukemia (BIL). METHODS We recruited 10 BIL patients and conducted the whole-exome sequencing on their peripheral blood samples. The obtained sequencing data were screened for potential pathogenic and novel variants, then the variants-located genes were clustered to identify cancer-related pathways. Shared or recurrent variants among the BIL cases were also identified and evaluated for their potential functional impact. RESULTS We identified 48,802 variants in exons in total, 97.3% of which were single nucleotide variants. After filtering out variants with minor allele frequency ≥ 1%, we obtained 8667 potentially pathogenic variants, of which 174 were shared by all the BIL cases. The identified variants located in genes that could be significantly enriched into certain cancer-related pathways such as PI3K-AKT signaling pathway and Ras signaling pathway. We also identified 1010 novel variants with no record in the Genome Aggregation Database and in dbSNP, and one of them was shared by 90% cases. The recurrent and novel variant caused a missense mutation in SESN3. CONCLUSIONS We examined variations of the whole exome in BIL patients for the first time. The commonly shared variants implied a relation with BIL, and the recurrent and novel variant might be specifically related to BIL. The related variants may help unravel the carcinogenic mechanisms of BIL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dafeng Lin
- Occupational Health Department, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, 2019 Buxin Rd., Luohu District, Shenzhen, 518020 China
| | - Dianpeng Wang
- Medical Laboratory, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, 518020 China
| | - Peimao Li
- Medical Laboratory, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, 518020 China
| | - Lihua Deng
- Occupational Diseases Department, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, 518020 China
| | - Zhimin Zhang
- Medical Laboratory, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, 518020 China
| | - Yanfang Zhang
- Medical Laboratory, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, 518020 China
| | - Ming Zhang
- Occupational Health Department, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, 2019 Buxin Rd., Luohu District, Shenzhen, 518020 China
| | - Naixing Zhang
- Occupational Health Department, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, 2019 Buxin Rd., Luohu District, Shenzhen, 518020 China
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The role of RAS oncogenes in controlling epithelial mechanics. Trends Cell Biol 2023; 33:60-69. [PMID: 36175301 PMCID: PMC9850021 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2022.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Mutations in RAS are key oncogenic drivers and therapeutic targets. Oncogenic Ras proteins activate a network of downstream signalling pathways, including extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), promoting cell proliferation and survival. However, there is increasing evidence that RAS oncogenes also alter the mechanical properties of both individual malignant cells and transformed tissues. Here we discuss the role of oncogenic RAS in controlling mechanical cell phenotypes and how these mechanical changes promote oncogenic transformation in single cells and tissues. RAS activation alters actin organisation and actomyosin contractility. These changes alter cell rheology and impact mechanosensing through changes in substrate adhesion and YAP/TAZ-dependent mechanotransduction. We then discuss how these changes play out in cell collectives and epithelial tissues by driving large-scale tissue deformations and the expansion of malignant cells. Uncovering how RAS oncogenes alter cell mechanics will lead to a better understanding of the morphogenetic processes that underlie tumour formation in RAS-mutant cancers.
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14
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Synthesis, molecular docking, and in-vitro studies of pyrimidine-2-thione derivatives as antineoplastic agents via potential RAS/PI3K/Akt/JNK inhibition in breast carcinoma cells. Sci Rep 2022; 12:22146. [PMID: 36550279 PMCID: PMC9780203 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26571-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present investigation, derivatives from (2-6) containing pyrimidine-2-thione moiety incorporated with different heterocycles such as pyrazoline, phenyl pyrazoline, and pyrimidine were synthesized using different methods. These pyrimidine-2-thione derivatives were evaluated in-silico for their capability to inhibit the H-RAS-GTP active form protein with insight to their pharmacokinetics properties. According to our findings, compound 5a was selected for in vitro studies as it has the in-silico top-ranked binding energy. Furthermore, compound 5a induced apoptosis to panels of cancer cell lines with the best IC50 on MCF-7 breast cancer cells (2.617 ± 1.6 µM). This effect was associated with the inhibition of phosphorylated RAS, JNK proteins, and PI3K/Akt genes expression. Thus, compound 5a has upregulated p21 gene and p53 protein levels. Moreover, 5a arrested the cell cycle progression at the sub-G0/G1 phase. In conclusion, the synthesized compound, 5a exhibited potent antineoplastic activity against breast cancer cell growth by targeting RAS/ PI3K/Akt/ JNK signaling cascades.
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15
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A Novel Defined RAS-Related Gene Signature for Predicting the Prognosis and Characterization of Biological Function in Osteosarcoma. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2022; 2022:5939158. [PMID: 36052285 PMCID: PMC9427258 DOI: 10.1155/2022/5939158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Background Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary bone malignancy in children and adolescents with a high incidence and poor prognosis. Activation of the RAS pathway promotes progression and metastasis of osteosarcoma. RAS has been studied in many different tumors; however, the prognostic value of RAS-associated genes in OS remains unclear. On this basis, we investigated the RAS-related gene signature and explored the intrinsic biological features of OS. Methods We obtained RNA transcriptome sequencing data and clinical information of osteosarcoma patients from the TARGET database. RAS pathway-related genes were obtained from the KEGG pathway database. Molecular subgroups and risk models were developed using consensus clustering and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, respectively. ESTIMATE algorithm and ssGSEA analysis were used to assess the tumor microenvironment and immune penetrance between the two groups. A comprehensive review of gene ontology (GO) and KEGG analyses revealed inherent biological functional differences between the two groups. Results The consistent clustering showed stratification of osteosarcoma patients into two subtypes based on RAS-associated genes and provided a robust prediction of prognosis. A risk model further confirmed that RAS-related genes are the best prognostic indicators for OS patients. GO analysis showed that GDP/GTP binding, focal adhesion, cytoskeletal motor activity, and cell-matrix junctions were associated with the RAS-related model group. Furthermore, RAS signaling in osteosarcoma based on KEGG analysis was significantly associated with cancer progression, with immune function and tumor microenvironment particularly affected. Conclusion We constructed a prognostic model founded on RAS-related gene and demonstrated its predictive ability. Then, furtherly exploration of the molecular mechanisms and immune characteristics proved the role of RAS-related gene in the dysregulation in OS.
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Abstract
Both the mTORC2 and Ras-ERK pathways respond to growth factor stimulation and play critical roles in cell growth and proliferation, disarray of these pathways leads to many diseases, especially cancer. These two signaling pathways crosstalk at many levels; recently it's become clear that the SIN1 component of mTORC2 could interact with Ras family small GTPases, but how these two proteins interact at the molecular level and the functional outcomes of this interaction remain to be addressed. In this work we determined the high-resolution structure of Ras-SIN1 complexes and revealed the detailed interaction mechanism. We also showed that Ras-SIN1 association inhibits insulin-induced ERK activation. Insights from this work could improve our understanding of the disease-causing mechanism of errant mTORC2 or Ras proteins. Over the years it has been established that SIN1, a key component of mTORC2, could interact with Ras family small GTPases through its Ras-binding domain (RBD). The physical association of Ras and SIN1/mTORC2 could potentially affect both mTORC2 and Ras-ERK pathways. To decipher the precise molecular mechanism of this interaction, we determined the high-resolution structures of HRas/KRas-SIN1 RBD complexes, showing the detailed interaction interface. Mutation of critical interface residues abolished Ras-SIN1 interaction and in SIN1 knockout cells we demonstrated that Ras-SIN1 association promotes SGK1 activity but inhibits insulin-induced ERK activation. With structural comparison and competition fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) assays we showed that HRas-SIN1 RBD association is much weaker than HRas-Raf1 RBD but is slightly stronger than HRas-PI3K RBD interaction, providing a possible explanation for the different outcome of insulin or EGF stimulation. We also found that SIN1 isoform lacking the PH domain binds stronger to Ras than other longer isoforms and the PH domain appears to have an inhibitory effect on Ras-SIN1 binding. In addition, we uncovered a Ras dimerization interface that could be critical for Ras oligomerization. Our results advance our understanding of Ras-SIN1 association and crosstalk between growth factor-stimulated pathways.
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17
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Baba AB, Rah B, Bhat GR, Mushtaq I, Parveen S, Hassan R, Hameed Zargar M, Afroze D. Transforming Growth Factor-Beta (TGF-β) Signaling in Cancer-A Betrayal Within. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:791272. [PMID: 35295334 PMCID: PMC8918694 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.791272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
A ubiquitously expressed cytokine, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) plays a significant role in various ongoing cellular mechanisms. The gain or loss-of-function of TGF-β and its downstream mediators could lead to a plethora of diseases includes tumorigenesis. Specifically, at the early onset of malignancy TGF-β act as tumour suppressor and plays a key role in clearing malignant cells by reducing the cellular proliferation and differentiation thus triggers the process of apoptosis. Subsequently, TGF-β at an advanced stage of malignancy promotes tumorigenesis by augmenting cellular transformation, epithelial-mesenchymal-transition invasion, and metastasis. Besides playing the dual roles, depending upon the stage of malignancy, TGF-β also regulates cell fate through immune and stroma components. This oscillatory role of TGF-β to fight against cancer or act as a traitor to collaborate and crosstalk with other tumorigenic signaling pathways and its betrayal within the cell depends upon the cellular context. Therefore, the current review highlights and understands the dual role of TGF-β under different cellular conditions and its crosstalk with other signaling pathways in modulating cell fate.
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KRAS-G12C covalent inhibitors: A game changer in the scene of cancer therapies. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2021; 168:103524. [PMID: 34800654 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2021.103524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
RAS is the most frequently mutated oncogene in human cancer. Scientists attempted for decades to target this protein or its pathways, however, all the attempts failed and RAS was labeled as "undruggable". With KRAS-G12C covalent inhibitors entering clinical trials, the myth of this "undruggable" RAS is fading away. In 2021, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of Sotorasib (Lumakras) for the treatment of adult patients with KRAS-G12C mutated locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC, following at least one prior systemic therapy. However, and as every other drug, KRAS-G12C inhibitors are facing intrinsic and acquired resistances. In order to overcome these resistances, researchers are now working on combination strategies. Furthermore, studies are currently ongoing to better elucidate the status of KRAS-G12C as a predictive and prognostic tool and to strengthen its role in the field of personalized medicine.
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5- epi-Sinuleptolide from Soft Corals of the Genus Sinularia Exerts Cytotoxic Effects on Pancreatic Cancer Cell Lines via the Inhibition of JAK2/STAT3, AKT, and ERK Activity. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26226932. [PMID: 34834023 PMCID: PMC8623039 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26226932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is one of the most lethal malignancies: more than half of patients are diagnosed with a metastatic disease, which is associated with a five-year survival rate of only 3%. 5-epi-Sinuleptolide, a norditerpene isolated from Sinularia sp., has been demonstrated to possess cytotoxic activity against cancer cells. However, the cytotoxicity against pancreatic cancer cells and the related mechanisms are unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-pancreatic cancer potential of 5-epi-sinuleptolide and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. The inhibitory effects of 5-epi-sinuleptolide treatment on the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells were determined and the results showed that 5-epi-sinuleptolide treatment inhibited cell proliferation, induced apoptosis and G2/M cell cycle arrest, and suppressed the invasion of pancreatic cancer cells. The results of western blotting further revealed that 5-epi-sinuleptolide could inhibit JAK2/STAT3, AKT, and ERK phosphorylation, which may account for the diverse cytotoxic effects of 5-epi-sinuleptolide. Taken together, our present investigation unveils a new therapeutic and anti-metastatic potential of 5-epi-sinuleptolide for pancreatic cancer treatment.
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Duan S, Moro L, Qu R, Simoneschi D, Cho H, Jiang S, Zhao H, Chang Q, de Stanchina E, Arbini AA, Pagano M. Loss of FBXO31-mediated degradation of DUSP6 dysregulates ERK and PI3K-AKT signaling and promotes prostate tumorigenesis. Cell Rep 2021; 37:109870. [PMID: 34686346 PMCID: PMC8577224 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
FBXO31 is the substrate receptor of one of many CUL1-RING ubiquitin ligase (CRL1) complexes. Here, we show that low FBXO31 mRNA levels are associated with high pre-operative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels and Gleason grade in human prostate cancer. Mechanistically, the ubiquitin ligase CRL1FBXO31 promotes the ubiquitylation-mediated degradation of DUSP6, a dual specificity phosphatase that dephosphorylates and inactivates the extracellular-signal-regulated kinase-1 and -2 (ERK1/2). Depletion of FBXO31 stabilizes DUSP6, suppresses ERK signaling, and activates the PI3K-AKT signaling cascade. Moreover, deletion of FBXO31 promotes tumor development in a mouse orthotopic model of prostate cancer. Treatment with BCI, a small molecule inhibitor of DUSP6, suppresses AKT activation and prevents tumor formation, suggesting that the FBXO31 tumor suppressor activity is dependent on DUSP6. Taken together, our studies highlight the relevance of the FBXO31-DUSP6 axis in the regulation of ERK- and PI3K-AKT-mediated signaling pathways, as well as its therapeutic potential in prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Duan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, The Alexandria Center for Life Science, New York, NY 10016, USA; Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, The Alexandria Center for Life Science, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Loredana Moro
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, The Alexandria Center for Life Science, New York, NY 10016, USA; Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, The Alexandria Center for Life Science, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Rui Qu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, The Alexandria Center for Life Science, New York, NY 10016, USA; Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, The Alexandria Center for Life Science, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Daniele Simoneschi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, The Alexandria Center for Life Science, New York, NY 10016, USA; Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, The Alexandria Center for Life Science, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Hyunwoo Cho
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, The Alexandria Center for Life Science, New York, NY 10016, USA; Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, The Alexandria Center for Life Science, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Shaowen Jiang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, The Alexandria Center for Life Science, New York, NY 10016, USA; Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, The Alexandria Center for Life Science, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Huiyong Zhao
- Program in Molecular Pharmacology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Qing Chang
- Program in Molecular Pharmacology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Elisa de Stanchina
- Program in Molecular Pharmacology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Arnaldo A Arbini
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, The Alexandria Center for Life Science, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Pathology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, The Alexandria Center for Life Science, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Michele Pagano
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, The Alexandria Center for Life Science, New York, NY 10016, USA; Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, The Alexandria Center for Life Science, New York, NY 10016, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, The Alexandria Center for Life Science, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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Thompson SK, Buckl A, Dossetter AG, Griffen E, Gill A. Small molecule Son of Sevenless 1 (SOS1) inhibitors: a review of the patent literature. Expert Opin Ther Pat 2021; 31:1189-1204. [PMID: 34253125 DOI: 10.1080/13543776.2021.1952984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: Up to 30% of all human cancers are driven by the overactivation of RAS signaling. Son of Sevenless 1 (SOS1) is a central node in RAS signaling pathways and modulation of SOS1-mediated RAS activation represents a unique opportunity for treating RAS-addicted cancers. Several recent publications and patent documents have demonstrated the ability of small molecules to affect the activation of RAS by SOS1 and have shown their potential for the treatment of cancers driven by RAS mutants.Areas covered: Documents focusing on both small-molecule inhibitors and activators of the SOS1:RAS interaction and their potential use as cancer therapeutics are covered. A total of 10 documents from 4 applicants are evaluated with discussion focusing on structural modifications of these compounds as well as relevant preclinical data.Expert opinion: The last decade has seen a significant increase in research and disclosures in the development of small-molecule SOS1 inhibitors. Considering the promising data that have been disclosed, interest in this area of research will likely remain strong for the foreseeable future. With the first SOS1 inhibitor currently in phase I clinical trials, the outcome of these trials will likely influence future development of SOS1 inhibitors for treatment of RAS-driven cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Severin K Thompson
- Department of Discovery Chemistry, Revolution Medicines Inc., Redwood City, CA, USA
| | - Andreas Buckl
- Department of Discovery Chemistry, Revolution Medicines Inc., Redwood City, CA, USA
| | | | - Ed Griffen
- Medchemica Limited, Biohub, Mereside, Cheshire, UK
| | - Adrian Gill
- Department of Discovery Chemistry, Revolution Medicines Inc., Redwood City, CA, USA
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Chen K, Zhang Y, Qian L, Wang P. Emerging strategies to target RAS signaling in human cancer therapy. J Hematol Oncol 2021; 14:116. [PMID: 34301278 PMCID: PMC8299671 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-021-01127-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
RAS mutations (HRAS, NRAS, and KRAS) are among the most common oncogenes, and around 19% of patients with cancer harbor RAS mutations. Cells harboring RAS mutations tend to undergo malignant transformation and exhibit malignant phenotypes. The mutational status of RAS correlates with the clinicopathological features of patients, such as mucinous type and poor differentiation, as well as response to anti-EGFR therapies in certain types of human cancers. Although RAS protein had been considered as a potential target for tumors with RAS mutations, it was once referred to as a undruggable target due to the consecutive failure in the discovery of RAS protein inhibitors. However, recent studies on the structure, signaling, and function of RAS have shed light on the development of RAS-targeting drugs, especially with the approval of Lumakras (sotorasib, AMG510) in treatment of KRASG12C-mutant NSCLC patients. Therefore, here we fully review RAS mutations in human cancer and especially focus on emerging strategies that have been recently developed for RAS-targeting therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Chen
- Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong An Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yalei Zhang
- Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong An Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Ling Qian
- Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong An Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Peng Wang
- Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong An Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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Cuesta C, Arévalo-Alameda C, Castellano E. The Importance of Being PI3K in the RAS Signaling Network. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12071094. [PMID: 34356110 PMCID: PMC8303222 DOI: 10.3390/genes12071094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Ras proteins are essential mediators of a multitude of cellular processes, and its deregulation is frequently associated with cancer appearance, progression, and metastasis. Ras-driven cancers are usually aggressive and difficult to treat. Although the recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the first Ras G12C inhibitor is an important milestone, only a small percentage of patients will benefit from it. A better understanding of the context in which Ras operates in different tumor types and the outcomes mediated by each effector pathway may help to identify additional strategies and targets to treat Ras-driven tumors. Evidence emerging in recent years suggests that both oncogenic Ras signaling in tumor cells and non-oncogenic Ras signaling in stromal cells play an essential role in cancer. PI3K is one of the main Ras effectors, regulating important cellular processes such as cell viability or resistance to therapy or angiogenesis upon oncogenic Ras activation. In this review, we will summarize recent advances in the understanding of Ras-dependent activation of PI3K both in physiological conditions and cancer, with a focus on how this signaling pathway contributes to the formation of a tumor stroma that promotes tumor cell proliferation, migration, and spread.
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Brosinsky P, Bornbaum J, Warga B, Schulz L, Schlüter KD, Ghigo A, Hirsch E, Schulz R, Euler G, Heger J. PI3K as Mediator of Apoptosis and Contractile Dysfunction in TGFβ 1-Stimulated Cardiomyocytes. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10070670. [PMID: 34356525 PMCID: PMC8301398 DOI: 10.3390/biology10070670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND TGFβ1 is a growth factor that plays a major role in the remodeling process of the heart by inducing cardiomyocyte dysfunction and apoptosis, as well as fibrosis thereby restricting heart function. TGFβ1 mediates its effect via the TGFβ receptor I (ALK5) and the activation of SMAD transcription factors, but TGFβ1 is also known as activator of phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) via the non-SMAD signaling pathway. The aim of this study was to investigate whether PI3K is also involved in TGFβ1-induced cardiomyocytes apoptosis and contractile dysfunction. METHODS AND RESULTS Incubation of isolated ventricular cardiomyocytes with TGFβ1 resulted in impaired contractile function. Pre-incubation of cells with the PI3K inhibitor Ly294002 or the ALK5 inhibitor SB431542 attenuated the decreased cell shortening in TGFβ1-stimulated cells. Additionally, TGFβ-induced apoptosis was significantly reduced by the PI3K inhibitor Ly294002. Administration of a PI3Kγ-specific inhibitor AS605240 abolished the TGFβ effect on apoptosis and cell shortening. This was also confirmed in cardiomyocytes from PI3Kγ KO mice. Induction of SMAD binding activity and the TGFβ target gene collagen 1 could be blocked by the PI3K inhibitor Ly294002, but not by the specific PI3Kγ inhibitor AS605240. CONCLUSIONS TGFβ1-induced SMAD activation, cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and impaired cell shortening are mediated via both, the ALK5 receptor and PI3K, in adult cardiomyocytes. PI3Kγ specifically contributes to apoptosis induction and impairment of contractile function independent of SMAD signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulin Brosinsky
- Institute of Physiology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (P.B.); (J.B.); (B.W.); (L.S.); (K.-D.S.); (R.S.); (G.E.)
| | - Julia Bornbaum
- Institute of Physiology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (P.B.); (J.B.); (B.W.); (L.S.); (K.-D.S.); (R.S.); (G.E.)
| | - Björn Warga
- Institute of Physiology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (P.B.); (J.B.); (B.W.); (L.S.); (K.-D.S.); (R.S.); (G.E.)
| | - Lisa Schulz
- Institute of Physiology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (P.B.); (J.B.); (B.W.); (L.S.); (K.-D.S.); (R.S.); (G.E.)
| | - Klaus-Dieter Schlüter
- Institute of Physiology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (P.B.); (J.B.); (B.W.); (L.S.); (K.-D.S.); (R.S.); (G.E.)
| | - Alessandra Ghigo
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Torino, 10126 Torino, Italy; (A.G.); (E.H.)
| | - Emilio Hirsch
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Torino, 10126 Torino, Italy; (A.G.); (E.H.)
| | - Rainer Schulz
- Institute of Physiology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (P.B.); (J.B.); (B.W.); (L.S.); (K.-D.S.); (R.S.); (G.E.)
| | - Gerhild Euler
- Institute of Physiology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (P.B.); (J.B.); (B.W.); (L.S.); (K.-D.S.); (R.S.); (G.E.)
| | - Jacqueline Heger
- Institute of Physiology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (P.B.); (J.B.); (B.W.); (L.S.); (K.-D.S.); (R.S.); (G.E.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-641-99-47215
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Autophagy Inhibition in BRAF-Driven Cancers. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13143498. [PMID: 34298710 PMCID: PMC8306561 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13143498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary BRAF is a protein kinase that is frequently mutationally activated in cancer. Mutant BRAF can be pharmacologically inhibited, which in combination with blockade of its direct effector, MEK1/2, is an FDA-approved therapeutic strategy for several BRAF-mutated cancer patients, such as melanoma, non-small-cell lung carcinoma, and thyroid cancer. However, therapy resistance is a major clinical challenge, highlighting the need for comprehensive investigations on the biological causes of such resistance, as well as to develop novel therapeutic strategies to improve patient survival. Autophagy is a cellular recycling process, which has been shown to allow cancer cells to escape from BRAF inhibition. Combined blockade of autophagy and BRAF signaling is a novel therapeutic strategy that is currently being tested in clinical trials. This review describes the relationship between BRAF-targeted therapy and autophagy regulation and discusses possible future treatment strategies. Abstract Several BRAF-driven cancers, including advanced BRAFV600E/K-driven melanoma, non-small-cell lung carcinoma, and thyroid cancer, are currently treated using first-line inhibitor combinations of BRAFV600E plus MEK1/2. However, despite the success of this vertical inhibition strategy, the durability of patient response is often limited by the phenomenon of primary or acquired drug resistance. It has recently been shown that autophagy, a conserved cellular recycling process, is increased in BRAF-driven melanoma upon inhibition of BRAFV600E signaling. Autophagy is believed to promote tumor progression of established tumors and also to protect cancer cells from the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapy. To this end, BRAF inhibitor (BRAFi)-resistant cells often display increased autophagy compared to responsive lines. Several mechanisms have been proposed for BRAFi-induced autophagy, such as activation of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress gatekeeper GRP78, AMP-activated protein kinase, and transcriptional regulation of the autophagy regulating transcription factors TFEB and TFE3 via ERK1/2 or mTOR inhibition. This review describes the relationship between BRAF-targeted therapy and autophagy regulation, and discusses possible future treatment strategies of combined inhibition of oncogenic signaling plus autophagy for BRAF-driven cancers.
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Soriano O, Alcón-Pérez M, Vicente-Manzanares M, Castellano E. The Crossroads between RAS and RHO Signaling Pathways in Cellular Transformation, Motility and Contraction. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12060819. [PMID: 34071831 PMCID: PMC8229961 DOI: 10.3390/genes12060819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Ras and Rho proteins are GTP-regulated molecular switches that control multiple signaling pathways in eukaryotic cells. Ras was among the first identified oncogenes, and it appears mutated in many forms of human cancer. It mainly promotes proliferation and survival through the MAPK pathway and the PI3K/AKT pathways, respectively. However, the myriad proteins close to the plasma membrane that activate or inhibit Ras make it a major regulator of many apparently unrelated pathways. On the other hand, Rho is weakly oncogenic by itself, but it critically regulates microfilament dynamics; that is, actin polymerization, disassembly and contraction. Polymerization is driven mainly by the Arp2/3 complex and formins, whereas contraction depends on myosin mini-filament assembly and activity. These two pathways intersect at numerous points: from Ras-dependent triggering of Rho activators, some of which act through PI3K, to mechanical feedback driven by actomyosin action. Here, we describe the main points of connection between the Ras and Rho pathways as they coordinately drive oncogenic transformation. We emphasize the biochemical crosstalk that drives actomyosin contraction driven by Ras in a Rho-dependent manner. We also describe possible routes of mechanical feedback through which myosin II activation may control Ras/Rho activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Soriano
- Tumor Biophysics Laboratory, Centro de Investigación del Cáncer and Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain;
| | - Marta Alcón-Pérez
- Tumour-Stroma Signalling Laboratory, Centro de Investigación del Cáncer and Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain;
| | - Miguel Vicente-Manzanares
- Tumor Biophysics Laboratory, Centro de Investigación del Cáncer and Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain;
- Correspondence: (M.V.-M.); (E.C.)
| | - Esther Castellano
- Tumour-Stroma Signalling Laboratory, Centro de Investigación del Cáncer and Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain;
- Correspondence: (M.V.-M.); (E.C.)
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Abstract
The genetic alterations in cancer cells are tightly linked to signaling pathway dysregulation. Ras is a key molecule that controls several tumorigenesis-related processes, and mutations in RAS genes often lead to unbiased intensification of signaling networks that fuel cancer progression. In this article, we review recent studies that describe mutant Ras-regulated signaling routes and their cross-talk. In addition to the two main Ras-driven signaling pathways, i.e., the RAF/MEK/ERK and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways, we have also collected emerging data showing the importance of Ras in other signaling pathways, including the RAC/PAK, RalGDS/Ral, and PKC/PLC signaling pathways. Moreover, microRNA-regulated Ras-associated signaling pathways are also discussed to highlight the importance of Ras regulation in cancer. Finally, emerging data show that the signal alterations in specific cell types, such as cancer stem cells, could promote cancer development. Therefore, we also cover the up-to-date findings related to Ras-regulated signal transduction in cancer stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamás Takács
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gyöngyi Kudlik
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Anita Kurilla
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Bálint Szeder
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - László Buday
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Semmelweis University Medical School, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Virag Vas
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
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Natural Products Attenuating Biosynthesis, Processing, and Activity of Ras Oncoproteins: State of the Art and Future Perspectives. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10111535. [PMID: 33182807 PMCID: PMC7698260 DOI: 10.3390/biom10111535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
RAS genes encode signaling proteins, which, in mammalian cells, act as molecular switches regulating critical cellular processes as proliferation, growth, differentiation, survival, motility, and metabolism in response to specific stimuli. Deregulation of Ras functions has a high impact on human health: gain-of-function point mutations in RAS genes are found in some developmental disorders and thirty percent of all human cancers, including the deadliest. For this reason, the pathogenic Ras variants represent important clinical targets against which to develop novel, effective, and possibly selective pharmacological inhibitors. Natural products represent a virtually unlimited resource of structurally different compounds from which one could draw on for this purpose, given the improvements in isolation and screening of active molecules from complex sources. After a summary of Ras proteins molecular and regulatory features and Ras-dependent pathways relevant for drug development, we point out the most promising inhibitory approaches, the known druggable sites of wild-type and oncogenic Ras mutants, and describe the known natural compounds capable of attenuating Ras signaling. Finally, we highlight critical issues and perspectives for the future selection of potential Ras inhibitors from natural sources.
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Ras assemblies and signaling at the membrane. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2020; 62:140-148. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2020.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Jiang Y, Fang B, Xu B, Chen L. The RAS-PI3K-AKT-NF-κB pathway transcriptionally regulates the expression of BCL2 family and IAP family genes and inhibits apoptosis in fibrous epulis. J Clin Lab Anal 2019; 34:e23102. [PMID: 31743516 PMCID: PMC7083487 DOI: 10.1002/jcla.23102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Revised: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Epulis has a tumor‐like appearance but is considered to be a massive reactive lesion rather than a true neoplasia. Limited information about the pathogenesis of epulis is available. The purpose of our study was to identify potential signaling pathways in fibrous epulis through transcriptome profiling. Methods Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between fibrous epulis lesions and normal gingival tissues were detected using RNA sequencing (RNAseq). The expression levels of eighteen genes were validated using quantitative real‐time PCR (qRT‐PCR). Results RNAseq identified 533 upregulated genes and 732 downregulated genes. The top 10 upregulated genes were IL11, OSM, MMP3, KRT75, MMP1, IL6, IL1B, IL24, SP7, and ADGRG3. The top 10 downregulated genes were BCHE, TYR, DCT, KRT222, RP11‐507K12.1, COL6A5, PMP2, GFRA1, SCN7A, and CDH19. KEGG pathway analysis further indicated that the DEGs were enriched in “Pathways in cancer” and the “Ras signaling pathway”. quantitative real‐time PCR verified that the expression levels of SOS1, HRAS, PIK3CA, AKT3, IKBKA, IKBKB, NFKB1, BCL2, BCL2L1, XIAP, BIRC2, and BIRC3 were increased significantly. Conclusions The current transcriptomic profiling study reveals that in fibrous epulis, RAS‐PI3K‐AKT‐NF‐κB pathway transcriptionally regulates the expression of BCL2 family and IAP family genes, leading to increased proliferation and apoptosis inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangyang Jiang
- Department of Orthodontics, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Bing Fang
- Department of Orthodontics, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Bin Xu
- Department of Stomatology, Hwa Mei Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, China
| | - Liang Chen
- Medical Administration Division, Ningbo Medical Center Lihuili Hospital, Ningbo, China
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Ogawa F, Walters MS, Shafquat A, O'Beirne SL, Kaner RJ, Mezey JG, Zhang H, Leopold PL, Crystal RG. Role of KRAS in regulating normal human airway basal cell differentiation. Respir Res 2019; 20:181. [PMID: 31399087 PMCID: PMC6688249 DOI: 10.1186/s12931-019-1129-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND KRAS is a GTPase that activates pathways involved in cell growth, differentiation and survival. In normal cells, KRAS-activity is tightly controlled, but with specific mutations, the KRAS protein is persistently activated, giving cells a growth advantage resulting in cancer. While a great deal of attention has been focused on the role of mutated KRAS as a common driver mutation for lung adenocarcinoma, little is known about the role of KRAS in regulating normal human airway differentiation. METHODS To assess the role of KRAS signaling in regulating differentiation of the human airway epithelium, primary human airway basal stem/progenitor cells (BC) from nonsmokers were cultured on air-liquid interface (ALI) cultures to mimic the airway epithelium in vitro. Modulation of KRAS signaling was achieved using siRNA-mediated knockdown of KRAS or lentivirus-mediated over-expression of wild-type KRAS or the constitutively active G12 V mutant. The impact on differentiation was quantified using TaqMan quantitative PCR, immunofluorescent and immunohistochemical staining analysis for cell type specific markers. Finally, the impact of cigarette smoke exposure on KRAS and RAS protein family activity in the airway epithelium was assessed in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS siRNA-mediated knockdown of KRAS decreased differentiation of BC into secretory and ciliated cells with a corresponding shift toward squamous cell differentiation. Conversely, activation of KRAS signaling via lentivirus mediated over-expression of the constitutively active G12 V KRAS mutant had the opposite effect, resulting in increased secretory and ciliated cell differentiation and decreased squamous cell differentiation. Exposure of BC to cigarette smoke extract increased KRAS and RAS protein family activation in vitro. Consistent with these observations, airway epithelium brushed from healthy smokers had elevated RAS activation compared to nonsmokers. CONCLUSIONS Together, these data suggest that KRAS-dependent signaling plays an important role in regulating the balance of secretory, ciliated and squamous cell differentiation of the human airway epithelium and that cigarette smoking-induced airway epithelial remodeling is mediated in part by abnormal activation of KRAS-dependent signaling mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumihiro Ogawa
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, Box 164, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Matthew S Walters
- Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Afrah Shafquat
- Computational Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Sarah L O'Beirne
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, Box 164, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Robert J Kaner
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, Box 164, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Jason G Mezey
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, Box 164, New York, NY, 10065, USA.,Computational Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Haijun Zhang
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, Box 164, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Philip L Leopold
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, Box 164, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Ronald G Crystal
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, Box 164, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
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Demiroglu-Zergeroglu A, Ayvali N, Turhal G, Ceylan H, Nacak Baytas S. Investigation of potent anticarcinogenic activity of 1, 3-diarylpyrazole acrylamide derivatives in vitro. J Pharm Pharmacol 2018; 70:1619-1629. [PMID: 30198567 DOI: 10.1111/jphp.13012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Pyrazole derivatives are pharmacologically powerful agents pointing at new horizons in the development of anticancer therapies. In this study, anticarcinogenic potential of a series of pyrazole-acrylamide derivatives has been investigated in mesothelial, malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer cell lines. METHODS The effect of compounds on the viability of cells and the distribution of cell cycle were examined through MTS assay and PI staining, respectively. Apoptosis was evaluated via caspase-3 enzymatic assay and AO/EB staining. Proteins involved in proliferation, survival and apoptosis were analysed by immunoblotting. KEY FINDINGS Twelve compounds of 21 (4a-4v) reduced the viability of cells but, only the subset of five (4f, 4i, 4j, 4k and 4v) induced the caspase-3 activity. Among five, only one compound (4k) significantly suppressed phosphorylation and expression of ERK1/2 and AKT proteins in 24 h. Exposing cancer cells to successive concentrations of 4k gave rise to dose- and time-dependent G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS 4k has revealed its potent antiproliferative activity by decreasing viability and inhibiting proliferation and survival signals of cancer cells. Moreover, 4k has exposed cytostatic and apoptotic effect especially, on cancer cells. Therefore, it may be necessary to examine the biological actions of 4k in vivo as well.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nurettin Ayvali
- Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Gebze Technical University, Gebze/Kocaeli, Turkey
| | - Gulseren Turhal
- Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Gebze Technical University, Gebze/Kocaeli, Turkey
| | - Hurmuz Ceylan
- Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Gebze Technical University, Gebze/Kocaeli, Turkey
| | - Sultan Nacak Baytas
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
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Sheffels E, Sealover NE, Wang C, Kim DH, Vazirani IA, Lee E, M Terrell E, Morrison DK, Luo J, Kortum RL. Oncogenic RAS isoforms show a hierarchical requirement for the guanine nucleotide exchange factor SOS2 to mediate cell transformation. Sci Signal 2018; 11:11/546/eaar8371. [PMID: 30181243 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aar8371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
About a third of tumors have activating mutations in HRAS, NRAS, or KRAS, genes encoding guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases) of the RAS family. In these tumors, wild-type RAS cooperates with mutant RAS to promote downstream effector activation and cell proliferation and transformation, suggesting that upstream activators of wild-type RAS are important modulators of mutant RAS-driven oncogenesis. The guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) SOS1 mediates KRAS-driven proliferation, but little is understood about the role of SOS2. We found that RAS family members have a hierarchical requirement for the expression and activity of SOS2 to drive cellular transformation. In mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), SOS2 critically mediated mutant KRAS-driven, but not HRAS-driven, transformation. Sos2 deletion reduced epidermal growth factor (EGF)-dependent activation of wild-type HRAS and phosphorylation of the kinase AKT in cells expressing mutant RAS isoforms. Assays using pharmacological inhibitors revealed a hierarchical requirement for signaling by phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) in promoting RAS-driven cellular transformation that mirrored the requirement for SOS2. KRAS-driven transformation required the GEF activity of SOS2 and was restored in Sos2-/- MEFs by expression of constitutively activated PI3K. Finally, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated deletion of SOS2 reduced EGF-stimulated AKT phosphorylation and synergized with MEK inhibition to revert the transformed phenotype of human KRAS mutant pancreatic and lung tumor cells. These results indicate that SOS2-dependent PI3K signaling mediates mutant KRAS-driven transformation, revealing therapeutic targets in KRAS-driven cancers. Our data also reveal the importance of three-dimensional culture systems in investigating the mediators of mutant KRAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Sheffels
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Nancy E Sealover
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Chenyue Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Do Hyung Kim
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Isabella A Vazirani
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Elizabeth Lee
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Terrell
- Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Signaling, National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Deborah K Morrison
- Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Signaling, National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Ji Luo
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Robert L Kortum
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
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Hussein HAM, Okafor IB, Walker LR, Abdel-Raouf UM, Akula SM. Cellular and viral oncogenes: the key to unlocking unknowns of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus pathogenesis. Arch Virol 2018; 163:2633-2643. [PMID: 29936609 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-018-3918-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Oncogenic viruses carry an extensive arsenal of oncogenes for hijacking cellular pathways. Notably, variations in oncogenes among tumor-producing viruses give rise to different mechanisms for cellular transformation. Specifically, Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is an oncogenic virus able to infect and transform a variety of cell types. The oncogenicity of KSHV disseminates from the virus' ability to induce and encode a wide variety of both cellular and viral oncogenes. Such an array of cellular and viral oncogenes enables KSHV to induce the malignant phenotype of a KSHV-associated cancer. Evolutionarily, KSHV has acquired many oncogenic homologues capable of inducing cell proliferation, cell differentiation, cell survival, and immune evasion. Integration between inducing and encoding oncogenes plays a vital role in KSHV pathogenicity. KSHV is alleged to harbor the highest number of potential oncogenes by which a virus promotes cellular transformation and malignancy. Many KSHV inducing/encoding oncogenes are mainly expressed during the latent phase of KSHV infection, a period required for virus establishment of malignant cellular transformation. Elucidation of the exact mechanism(s) by which oncogenes promote KSHV pathogenicity would not only give rise to potential novel therapeutic targets/drugs but would also add to our understanding of cancer biology. The scope of this review is to examine the roles of the most important cellular and viral oncogenes involved in KSHV pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hosni A M Hussein
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27834, USA
| | - Ikenna B Okafor
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27834, USA
| | - Lia R Walker
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27834, USA
| | - Usama M Abdel-Raouf
- Faculty of Science, Al Azhar University, Assiut Branch, Assiut, 71524, Egypt
| | - Shaw M Akula
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27834, USA.
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Computational Insights into the Interactions between Calmodulin and the c/nSH2 Domains of p85α Regulatory Subunit of PI3Kα: Implication for PI3Kα Activation by Calmodulin. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19010151. [PMID: 29300353 PMCID: PMC5796100 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19010151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Revised: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 12/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Calmodulin (CaM) and phosphatidylinositide-3 kinase (PI3Kα) are well known for their multiple roles in a series of intracellular signaling pathways and in the progression of several human cancers. Crosstalk between CaM and PI3Kα has been an area of intensive research. Recent experiments have shown that in adenocarcinoma, K-Ras4B is involved in the CaM-PI3Kα crosstalk. Based on experimental results, we have recently put forward a hypothesis that the coordination of CaM and PI3Kα with K-Ras4B forms a CaM-PI3Kα-K-Ras4B ternary complex, which leads to the formation of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. However, the mechanism for the CaM-PI3Kα crosstalk is unresolved. Based on molecular modeling and molecular dynamics simulations, here we explored the potential interactions between CaM and the c/nSH2 domains of p85α subunit of PI3Kα. We demonstrated that CaM can interact with the c/nSH2 domains and the interaction details were unraveled. Moreover, the possible modes for the CaM-cSH2 and CaM-nSH2 interactions were uncovered and we used them to construct a complete CaM-PI3Kα complex model. The structural model of CaM-PI3Kα interaction not only offers a support for our previous ternary complex hypothesis, but also is useful for drug design targeted at CaM-PI3Kα protein-protein interactions.
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